Coexistence of wireless technologies on an antenna

Abstract

A device implementing a system for NFC communication with a second device includes an antenna and a processor configured to transmit a pulse signal for detection of another device within proximity of the device, and to detect, in conjunction with transmission of the pulse signal, that a first value of a measurement parameter of the antenna satisfies an initial detection factor. The processor is further configured, in response to the detection, to set a confirmation detection factor for the measurement parameter of the antenna based at least in part on the first value of the measurement parameter of the antenna, to transmit a confirmation pulse signal, and to initiate a second polling for reception of data from the other device when a second value of the measurement parameter of the antenna detected in conjunction with transmission of the confirmation pulse signal satisfies the confirmation detection factor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising:
 an antenna; and 
 at least one processor configured to:
 transmit a pulse signal for detection of an other device within proximity of the device; 
 detect, in conjunction with transmission of the pulse signal, that a first value of a measurement parameter of the antenna satisfies an initial detection factor; and 
 in response to detecting that the first value satisfies the initial detection factor:
 set a confirmation detection factor for the measurement parameter based at least in part on the first value; 
 transmit a confirmation pulse signal; and 
 initiate a second polling for reception of data from the other device when a second value of the measurement parameter of the antenna detected in conjunction with transmission of the confirmation pulse signal satisfies the confirmation detection factor. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first value satisfies the initial detection factor when the first value of the measurement parameter differs, by at least a first threshold amount, from a prior value of the measurement parameter detected in conjunction with transmission of a prior pulse signal. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the second value of the measurement parameter satisfies the confirmation detection factor when the second value differs, by at least a second threshold amount, from the first value of the measurement parameter. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the pulse signal is transmitted a first amount of time after the transmission of the prior pulse signal and the confirmation pulse signal is transmitted a second amount of time after the transmission of the pulse signal, the second amount of time being less than the first amount of time. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 transmit an other pulse signal for detection of the other device in response to detecting that the first value of the measurement parameter does not satisfy the initial detection factor, wherein the other pulse signal is transmitted the first amount of time after transmission of the pulse signal. 
 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the other device corresponds to a passive tag or to a device emulating a passive tag. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the measurement parameter of the antenna comprises at least one of an amplitude, an impedance, a phase, or a transmission current associated with the antenna. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 transmit an other confirmation pulse signal when the second value of the measurement parameter detected in conjunction with transmission of the confirmation pulse signal does not satisfy the confirmation detection factor. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 initiate the second polling for reception of data from the other device when a third value of the measurement parameter of the antenna detected in conjunction with transmission of the other confirmation pulse signal satisfies the confirmation detection factor. 
 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 when the second value of the measurement parameter of the antenna detected in conjunction with transmission of the confirmation pulse signal does not satisfy the confirmation detection factor:
 adjust the initial detection factor based at least in part on the second value of the measurement parameter; and 
 transmit an other pulse signal for detection of the other device within proximity of the device. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is an NFC reader device, and wherein the other device is a passive tag or an active NFC device emulating a passive tag. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to set the confirmation detection factor to distinguish between a detection of the other device and a re-tuning of the antenna by internal circuitry of the device in the absence of the other device. 
     
     
       13. A method, comprising:
 transmitting, by a device via an antenna, a pulse signal in association with a first polling for detection of a second device within proximity of the device; 
 detecting, in conjunction with transmitting the pulse signal, that a first change in a measurement parameter associated with the antenna satisfies a first factor; 
 transmitting, in response to the detection of the first change, a confirmation pulse signal; 
 detecting, in conjunction with transmitting the confirmation pulse signal, that a second change in the measurement parameter satisfies a second factor; and 
 initiating, in response to detecting that the second change satisfied the second factor, a second polling for reception of data from the second device. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first change in the measurement parameter is determined based at least in part on the measurement parameter in conjunction with transmission of a prior pulse signal, wherein the pulse signal is transmitted a first amount of time after the prior pulse signal. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the confirmation pulse signal is transmitted a second amount of time after the pulse signal, the second amount of time being less than the first amount of time. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein detecting that the first change in the measurement parameter satisfies the first factor comprises determining that a value of the measurement parameter detected in conjunction with transmitting the pulse signal differs, by at least a first threshold amount, from a prior value of the measurement parameter detected in conjunction with transmitting the prior pulse signal. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein detecting that the second change in the measurement parameter satisfies the second factor comprises determining that a second value of the measurement parameter detected in conjunction with transmitting the confirmation pulse signal differs, by at least a second threshold amount, from value of the measurement parameter detected in conjunction with transmitting the pulse signal. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the measurement parameter of the antenna comprises at least one of an amplitude, an impedance, a phase or a transmission current associated with the antenna. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second polling comprises activating hardware and/or firmware on the device for receiving data from the second device and the second polling is associated with a greater power consumption than the first polling. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 transmitting an other confirmation pulse signal when the second change in the measurement parameter that satisfies the second factor is not detected in conjunction with transmitting the confirmation pulse signal. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 detecting, in conjunction with transmitting the other confirmation pulse signal, that a third change in the measurement parameter satisfies the second factor; and 
 initiating, in response to detecting that the third change satisfies the second factor, the second polling for reception of data from the second device. 
 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising code that, when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform operations, the code comprising:
 code to transmit, by a device via an antenna, a pulse signal in association with a first polling for detection of an other device; 
 code to detect, in conjunction with the transmission of the pulse signal, that a first change in a measurement parameter associated with the antenna satisfies an initial detection factor; 
 code to transmit, in response to detecting that the first change satisfies the initial detection factor, a confirmation pulse signal; 
 code to detect, in conjunction with transmitting the confirmation pulse signal, that a second change in the measurement parameter satisfies a confirmation detection factor, the confirmation detection factor being set based at least in part on the first change; and 
 code to initiate, in response to detecting that the second change satisfies the confirmation detection factor, a second polling for reception of data from the other device, the second polling being associated with a higher power consumption than the first polling.